N. Korean leader sends tractors to northeastern province: state media

A ceremony is held in the North Korean city of Hyesan, March 4, to mark the delivery of farming tractors gifted by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, in this photo carried by the North's Korean Central News Agency two days later. Yonhap

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has sent tractors to the northeastern province of Ryanggang, state media said Wednesday, in an apparent move to boost crop output amid chronic food shortages.

Without disclosing the number of tractors sent, the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that a ceremony took place in the city of Hyesan on Monday to mark the delivery of the "efficient" tractors, which were also sent to cities and counties in the province.

Officials who attended the ceremony vowed to "decisively raise the per-hectare yield" to "attain the goal of grain production this year without fail," the KCNA said.

The report comes as Kim has been emphasizing the importance of developing backward regions, saying the overall regional economy is in a "terrible situation" and defined the insufficient provision of basic living necessities in provincial areas as a "serious political issue."

The North has also focused on boosting grain production amid chronic food shortages, which have resulted in reported deaths from starvation in some regions.

The province of Ryanggang, which borders China, is known to have lower grain output compared with other regions due to its mountainous terrain and relatively small patches of farmland. (Yonhap)